Latest Stories
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UK aims to be global ‘scientific superpower’
Should science be run by politicians? Yesterday, Britain launched an ambitious new scheme, but some fear zealous scientists with too much freedom to experiment could put us all in danger.
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The exhaust pipe that could change the world
Is nuclear fusion our best hope for the climate? Today, scientists are celebrating a remarkable breakthrough. But not everyone is convinced that nuclear is the safest way forward.
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New evidence suggests China caused pandemic
Did the Covid-19 virus escape from a Chinese lab? The idea has long been dismissed by experts as a conspiracy theory – but a news report published yesterday suggests that it may be correct.
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The woman who reached for the stars
Is space travel the ultimate human achievement? Continuing our series on modern role models to mark Black History Month, we look at the extraordinary life of astronaut Mae Jemison.
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Scientists find possible life on Venus
Is there life on our neighbouring planet? A gas detected floating in the clouds above Venus could hold the key to extra-terrestrial life quite unlike anything we have ever imagined.
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Shock turns to anger after Beirut explosion
Should ammonium nitrate be banned? The deadly explosion in Lebanon is just the latest caused by a common fertiliser. Some say it is essential to modern farming. But others want it outlawed.
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Bioprinting to fight cancer – and Covid-19
Could printed human organs help end disease forever? In an amazing breakthrough, scientists are creating tiny replicas of human organs – some as small as a pinhead – to test new treatments.
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The great hydrogen revolution gathers pace
Are we on the cusp of a hydrogen revolution? A new material, similar to a bath sponge, could be the key to making the most abundant element in the world the green fuel of the future.
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Coronavirus, capitalism, and the cure business
Are the giant drug companies the solution not the problem? Multinational pharmaceutical companies want to make money from the pandemic, but their research may be essential to finding a vaccine.
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Ice reveals mysteries behind medieval murder
Is our history written in the air? Scientists have dug up evidence in the Swiss Alps that shows how the death of an archbishop in the 12th Century led to a drop in medieval air pollution.
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The living robot! Part-frog, part-machine
Is it dangerous to create living robots? Using the cells of a frog and artificial intelligence, scientists have designed an entirely new life form small enough to travel inside a human body.
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One woman’s fight to capture whiff of the past
Should there be museums for smells? As our lives move online and artificial intelligence takes over, some think it has never been more important to preserve culturally important aromas.
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Virus toll rises as 14 are tested in Britain
Is this a global pandemic? In China, there are more than 830 confirmed cases and 25 deaths – with further reports from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US.
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Universal cancer cure now suddenly possible
Should we hope for a world without disease? It seems possible. At last, a cure for cancer seems to be on the horizon. And, now, scientists are dreaming of a future where no one becomes ill.
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The fascinating, undying power of curiosity
Could curiosity be the most important human attribute? It lets us transform chaos into questions, boredom into wisdom, and allows us to find pleasure in the mysteries of the Universe.